August 31, 2016

Huma and Anthony, divorce Islamic style

Islamists are nothing if not flexible. While some preach strict adherence to the Prophet and the Qur'an, they are quite nimble when it helps achieve an important goal.

Thus, Huma Abedin with her proximity to power can get away with marrying a man who claims to be a Jew, although there is some speculation that Anthony Weiner may have converted to Islam to placate Huma's parents.

Weiner pops up in the news from time to time after he gets caught with his pants up or down after snapping a selfie for a gal pal. Following the latest episode, Huma, in a very public announcement, says they are separating.

Will they divorce? We don't know the answer to that. But if they do, how will that work under Islamic law?

It's easier for a Sunni man to get the divorce than the woman. In either event, there are three stages to the marriage dissolution: Initiation, Reconciliation, and Completion. The man initiates the divorce with talaq utterances -- saying "I divorce thee" or words to that effect, three times. Then there's a waiting period. When the required time has passed, the divorce is officially finalized. Here's what wikipedia says about it:

According to some Sunni schools of jurisprudence, each talaq utterance should be followed by a waiting period of three menstrual periods for women or three month (iddah or iddat), when the couple are supposed to try to reconcile with the help of mediators from each family, until the third and final ṭalāq. Some Sunnis who believe the practice of triple talaq in one is wrong; nonetheless accept it as final, especially the Hanafi schools of jurisprudence. ...

Women can initiate talaq through delegation (tafwid), which can be made conditionally or unconditionally in the marriage contract or during the marriage.[3] Most modern Muslim-majority countries permit this type of divorce in some form.[3]

It is also possible for a woman to petition a qadi or qazi (judge of Muslim jurisprudence) for a divorce under certain conditions. This type of divorce is known as khula. The circumstances which are regarded as acceptable vary amongst the four Sunni groups of Islamic schools of jurisprudence.

For all we know, Huma may have already initiated the talaq and is in the waiting period. But as we do know, Islamists are very flexible when it comes to people in power, so she may decide to skip the whole complicated process altogether and go for the typical American no-fault divorce.

Or more likely, she'll be "separated" for the duration of the election period. After that, Hillary might free her from her indentured servitude.